Captain Phillips Review

Let me just start off by saying that Captain Phillips is every bit as thrilling and intense as Gravity. Obviously they are both extremely different movies, but each film will keep you locked in your seat.

To give you the short version, Captain Phillips is the true story of a container ship hijacking that took place back in 2009. Somali pirates overtook the ship, as well as kidnapped Phillips (played by Tom Hanks). 

The camera work by director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) is similar to his past endeavors, a shaky, but not too shaky, camera. Some people I went with complained of feeling dizzy and even nauseous. Greengrass did a great job immersing people with his camera work by making them feel sea sick (similar to how Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity made audiences feel the beauty and terror of outer space).

The movie is suspenseful all the way to the end; it is a battle between wits and weapons as the unarmed freighter tries to survive and out smart the machine gun wielding pirates.

But this isn't just some movie about how the American military swoops in to save the day. The movie goes deeper, exploring both sides of this true story.

By the time the film is finished you know backgrounds of both Captain Phillips and the pirates, mainly Muse, the pirate leader played by Barkhad Abdi. You feel for the pirates. The movie tells the audience that Phillips and Muse are similar. They were both just doing their jobs. At the beginning of the film they also show Muse's living conditions in Somalia.

One quote from the film has Muse saying that "this is all just business," and later saying that he has bosses. Phillips replies saying, "we all have bosses." Muse also continues to say "Everything's going to be ok." Muse probably says this close to ten times, each time more erie then the last.

The ending should be obvious but I won't give specifics. Just know that it is bittersweet and tear jerking.

I give this film a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. Must see picture with fantastic direction and performances.

Movies to watch for: Reviewed titles...

Captain Phillips: 4/4

Gravity: 4/4